General Update/Rumour thread [Urban Ottawa]

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by teej1984

I wonder if the project the NCC is proposing at Lebreton that is supposed to be nationally or regionally significant will turn out to be a new Science & Tech Museum given the current one is going to be "closed indefinitely."

What I fear is this. The Old science and Technology Museum is toast. An election year is coming. So the government announces it will build a new one---in another part of Canada ,where they think they can garner votes by promising to move it there.

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Here's an interesting question: are any embassies located on the Quebec side of the river?

I don't believe so, though technically I believe they could given that the "national capital" is defined as the NCR in the legislation.

Anyway, I know there is an "Ambassade du Maroc" listed in Aylmer but that's actually the ambassador's residence. The actual embassy is in Sandy Hill on the Range Rd. embassy row.

The old road out to Aylmer actually has a good number of ambassador's residences.

None are in the Gatineau. Probably except for a few in Rockcliffe, all are within pre-amalgamation Ottawa mostly in the central area (ByWard Market, Centretown, Downtown, Sandy Hill).

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

What I fear is this. The Old science and Technology Museum is toast. An election year is coming. So the government announces it will build a new one---in another part of Canada ,where they think they can garner votes by promising to move it there.

Ottawa is one of the cities that Harper is going to have to focus a lot on in the coming election campaign. Ontario & BC are the main areas where he's going to have regain ground from the Liberals to get elected.

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Ottawa is one of the cities that Harper is going to have to focus a lot on in the coming election campaign. Ontario & BC are the main areas where he's going to have regain ground from the Liberals to get elected.

His offer to Ottawa come election time will be a new Civic Hospital built in the Experimental Farm.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

What I fear is this. The Old science and Technology Museum is toast. An election year is coming. So the government announces it will build a new one---in another part of Canada ,where they think they can garner votes by promising to move it there.

They will announce a new one and it will be in Ottawa. Whether it actually gets built after the 2015 election is beyond my ability to read tea leaves.

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Had a thought. In the event that Scotland becomes an independent state following their referendum on Thursday, we should seek a prominent location for a Scottish embassy to Canada given the strong historic ties between Canada & Scotland and the massive number of Canadians of Scottish origin (in fact, there are more Canadians of Scottish descent than there are people in Scotland!).

Any ideas on where such a prominent location exists in the core?

Would it not be a high commission as opposed to an embassy.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Here's an interesting question: are any embassies located on the Quebec side of the river?

I don't believe so, though technically I believe they could given that the "national capital" is defined as the NCR in the legislation.

Anyway, I know there is an "Ambassade du Maroc" listed in Aylmer but that's actually the ambassador's residence. The actual embassy is in Sandy Hill on the Range Rd. embassy row.

The old road out to Aylmer actually has a good number of ambassador's residences.

In the traditional usage, an Embassy was the place where the Ambassador lived (as opposed to the chancery where the office was located). Morocco may still use this nomenclature. I believe Canada insists on chanceries being located in the capital city, so I don't think any are outside of pre-amalgamation Ottawa (Rockliffe has lots of residences, but no chanceries as far as I know).

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

None are in the Gatineau. Probably except for a few in Rockcliffe, all are within pre-amalgamation Ottawa mostly in the central area (ByWard Market, Centretown, Downtown, Sandy Hill).

Diplomatic residences can be located on the Gatineau side, but embassies and High Commissions must be located in the national capital, Ottawa.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

Would it not be a high commission as opposed to an embassy.

Yes, assuming Scotland were to remain a member of the Commonwealth, which I believe would be the plan.

[waterloowarrior]

Would any of the lots on Sussex between Stanley and MacKay be appropriate?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Would any of the lots on Sussex between Stanley and MacKay be appropriate?

That would be a nice spot for something in grey granite....

[Mikeed]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

His offer to Ottawa come election time will be a new Civic Hospital built in the Experimental Farm.

I just find that unlikely since Healthcare is a provincial jurisdiction.

But good idea; might be missing some sarcasm.

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by Mikeed

I just find that unlikely since Healthcare is a provincial jurisdiction.

But good idea; might be missing some sarcasm.

But the necessary land is under federal control. The new hospital will be the bone thrown to Ottawa for voting Tory.

Likely also a wedge issue as it is doubtful that the NDP would support loosing the green space. No idea where the Grits would sit on this - unless it was named the Harper or the Baird rather than the Civic.

[1overcosc]

Or perhaps he'll announce he's handing over the Parkway lands the city needs for LRT over to the city / ordering the NCC to accept the city's alignment. The NIMBYs in the area are in an NDP-held riding where he has no chance of winning so he's got nothing to lose, and it puts the Liberals & NDP in a very awkward situation as they plan on campaigning on the need for transit expansions.

[rocketphish]

Sandy Hill heritage church sale raises concerns in community
All Saints Anglican Church moved from 114-year-old building earlier in summer

By Andrew Foote, CBC News Posted: Sep 15, 2014 2:44 PM ET Last Updated: Sep 15, 2014 5:35 PM ET



It's been the site of a state funeral, a royal wedding and countless services since the dawn of the 20th century.

Now, the future of the former All Saints Anglican Church on Chapel Street in Ottawa's Sandy Hill neighbourhood is in doubt.

The building, completed in 1900 and designated a heritage property in 1998, is now up for sale.

Action Sandy Hill president Chad Rollins said he'd like to see the building on the corner of Laurier Avenue East become a cultural centre, but thinks a developer will end up outbidding everyone else and use it for a residential complex.

If the property would be rezoned, that is.

"[The city] has taken a lot of steps in the past couple of years towards trying to ensure character in our mature and older neighbourhoods is protected, yet on the other hand they continue to do a lot of things that undermine those efforts," Rollins said.

"The constant 'spot' rezonings is a big one."

Rollins said the city should make more predictable development decisions and not grant as many case-by-case exceptions as they have in the past.

"There's really no certainty for anyone in the community, not even for developers," he said.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury said the area is zoned "institutional" and he wants it to stay that way.

"We feel the appropriate designation is in place… it's a clear message of the importance," he said. "We'd like it to stay as a church but if it's not, it for sure should stay institutional."

Former PM Borden funeral site

The building at 317 Chapel St. was finished in 1900 and founded by Sir Henry Newell Bate, who was the first chair of the Ottawa Improvement Commission (or National Capital Commission, as we now know it.)

The state funeral for former prime minister Robert Borden was held there in 1937, and it was the site of a wedding between Lois Booth, granddaughter of lumber baron J.R. Booth, and Danish prince Erik von Rosenberg in 1924.

Action Sandy Hill is part of a rally planned for Wednesday afternoon, scheduled to start at the former church, to "encourage the City to preserve the historic character of Sandy Hill."

The rally is scheduled to end at the corner of Laurier Avenue East and Friel Street, where council voted down a rezoning that would have replaced heritage buildings there with a nine-storey student residence.

All Saints's congregation moved to a new location on Montreal Road in July. They have a farewell celebration planned for Thursday night.

Nobody from the congregation or real estate company managing the sale replied to requests for comment.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...nity-1.2766711

[teej1984]

Sunday I watched a fantastic documentary on Netflix called The Human Scale and it really got me thinking about urban life in Ottawa. The first thing I thought was how overbuilt roads DT are. I bike to work every day and consistently notice there is not nearly enough traffic on Slater and Albert to require 3-4 lanes of traffic. The Slater development is reinforcing this as one lane is currently closed on Slater@Bank, and it's not traffic armageddon, in fact, it calms traffic and makes it safer for pedestrians and bikers. The same applies for Metcalfe and O'Connor, which both have the same amount of traffic and are RARELY at capacity. The city should really consider turning one lane of each of these streets into bike lanes, providing quick North-South and East-West traffic, similar to what NYC has done (it's explained really well in the doc). Not only would this encourage more people to bike and safer biking, but it would create more of a community atmosphere in parts of the city that have been divided by unnecessarily large boulevards. The same applies for the J.A.M near Lebreton Flats/Museum of War... the road there is completely inhospitable growing from two lanes up to the Museum of War to EIGHT lanes of traffic after. No wonder Fusion feels like an island... it's impossible to connect it to the surrounding community because this immensely overbuilt road is bisecting it from any opportunity to connect.

The second thing I thought about was how the DT O-Train tunnel is going to make the city look like an uninhabited wasteland. Currently there is so much life on the streets in the morning and afternoon as people go to work and wait at the three central bus stations DT. With everyone going underground, the city is going to look deserted all the time!

[1overcosc]

I believe the city is planning on narrowing Albert, Slater, and Queen once the Confederation Line opens. Lopping Queen from 4 lanes to 2 and Albert/Slater from 3 to 2. Queen is getting significantly widened sidewalks (to handle the pedestrian traffic from the new Confederation Line stations), Albert/Slater are getting segregated bike lanes.

Outside the core, Main Street is also being narrowed from 4 lanes to 2 lanes, with segregated bike lanes and wider sidewalks.

[waterloowarrior]

6 storey wood construction permitted in Ontario as of Jan 1, 2015. Midrise building boom?

http://news.ontario.ca/mah/en/2014/0...x-storeys.html

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

6 storey wood construction permitted in Ontario as of Jan 1, 2015. Midrise building boom?

http://news.ontario.ca/mah/en/2014/0...x-storeys.html

Long awaited and very good news.

[Boxster]

Originally Posted by teej1984

Sunday I watched a fantastic documentary on Netflix called The Human Scale and it really got me thinking about urban life in Ottawa. The first thing I thought was how overbuilt roads DT are. I bike to work every day and consistently notice there is not nearly enough traffic on Slater and Albert to require 3-4 lanes of traffic. The Slater development is reinforcing this as one lane is currently closed on Slater@Bank, and it's not traffic armageddon, in fact, it calms traffic and makes it safer for pedestrians and bikers. The same applies for Metcalfe and O'Connor, which both have the same amount of traffic and are RARELY at capacity. The city should really consider turning one lane of each of these streets into bike lanes, providing quick North-South and East-West traffic, similar to what NYC has done (it's explained really well in the doc). Not only would this encourage more people to bike and safer biking, but it would create more of a community atmosphere in parts of the city that have been divided by unnecessarily large boulevards. The same applies for the J.A.M near Lebreton Flats/Museum of War... the road there is completely inhospitable growing from two lanes up to the Museum of War to EIGHT lanes of traffic after. No wonder Fusion feels like an island... it's impossible to connect it to the surrounding community because this immensely overbuilt road is bisecting it from any opportunity to connect.

The second thing I thought about was how the DT O-Train tunnel is going to make the city look like an uninhabited wasteland. Currently there is so much life on the streets in the morning and afternoon as people go to work and wait at the three central bus stations DT. With everyone going underground, the city is going to look deserted all the time!

I think most people will need to resurface to get to their area of work. This is nothing like Toronto's PATH.